Post by QSAROO on Dec 16, 2012 6:42:02 GMT -5

In our community,there are many members who have been affected by cancer. Whether it be members who have beaten it, members whom have had loved ones battle it, or most recently, members who have a loved one diagnosed with it, cancer has had an profound impact on many of us.

In honor of all those that have dealt with this horrible disease, we are here to support our friends and their families, and bring awareness to this illness that affects so many.

We at QSAROO were recently approached with an amazing idea from SFA, Phi, and CKS. Their idea is to save lives and bring awareness to cancer. There are many ways to do this, which will be discussed, but the prize:

WIN A GA TICKET TO BONNAROO 20132014!

How to Enter:There are many ways to bring awareness to Cancer and we want to use as many of those as possible.

The first way to enter, is join the registry for the, National Marrow Donor Program. Chick here---->Join Now!, Use promo code: Inforoo. Fill out the on-line form(scroll down) and a kit will be mailed to you. Once the kit is received, follow the instructions, swab the inside of your cheek, and mail the swab back, according to the instructions you received with the kit. Registering is easy, but one must also understand the implications of registering to join the National Marrow Donor Program.By signing up to the registry, you have now placed your name into a nationwide pool of other potential bone marrow donors. If a doctor finds you to be a close match to their patient who would benefit from a bone marrow transplant, you will be asked to donate Bone Marrow.

You could be asked to donate bone Marrow!

Which is not an easy task ??? , can be painful :'(, and has risk factors :o, but by doing this you could also save the life of another human being. How quacking cool is that!

By taking this small step, you could save a life!

Over 350 people a day die from cancer and you could be their cure.

According to the website, 90% of Bone Marrow donors are between the ages of 18-44 years old. Keep that in mind and if you fall out of that, well we have other options, like...

The second way to bring awareness to cancer, is through donations. A personal web page for Inforoo has been created atTeam: Be The Match. Here you can donate to an organization that focuses on life threatening blood cancers, like leukemia and they connect recipients with possible bone marrow donors. There are other sites and cancer organizations one can make a donation to, but we have chosen, BeTheMatch.

The last option to help bring awareness to cancer is what we call, The other option. There are many "other" options to bring awareness to cancer, from walk/runs to entering anything like, but not limited to, a Cancer Chili Cook-off. We want you to find cancer related events and take part in them, show you support and be proactive in bringing light unto this disease.

Why should you do this? Well besides the obvious, we are offering all participants a chance to win a GA ticket to Bonnaroo 2013.

Why now? Why not? Although, next year, along with Breast Cancer Awareness, we plan to do this in October.

Who can enter? You must already be an Inforoo member to be eligible for the tickets.

How we will do this? Well it will go a little something like this. We have this big

Purple Hat !!!

Right now it is empty, but looking to be filled with names. At the end of the drive, (February 17th) we will draw a name out of that hat. That name will win a GA ticket to Bonnaroo 2013.Right now, there are 2 tickets to be given away, so we will be drawing 2 names out of the hat.

There are many of ways to get your name in the Purple Hat:

If you join the Be Match registry for the National Marrow Donor Program, you get your name in the hat 10 times. (We will need to see a picture, so follow the instructions, fill out the form and then send us a picture of you and your kit and your swabs. )

If you donate to Inforoo's Personal Page : Team: Be The Match <---click it! (for this drive we ask that you use your Inforoo name), you will get your name in the hat once. If you donate $20, you will get your name in the hat twice and from then out each $20 you donate will get your name in the hat one more time.

If you donate $100

you get 2 entries into the Purple Hat for the $20

1 more at the $40 donation

1 for the $60

1 for the $80

1 more for $100 amount

so if you donate $100, you will get your name in the hat 6 times.

For each "other" event you partake in, you will get your name in the hat 1 time. Do another event and get your name in the hat 1 more time. If you chose to partake in the other options, we ask you PM us so we can verify the event that you plan on participating in.

You can also get your non-inforoo friends & family involved! Get a friend or family member to join the registry, get your name in the hat 5 more times. Get your friend of family member to donate $20, get your name in the hat 1 more time.

When you get your card, take a picture and PM us with it. Like this:

If you are already in the Marrow registry, update your information, send us a picture of your card(like the one above) and you can get your name in the hat 10 times.

The idea started with a bone marrow drive and has expanded beyond that, but we want to focus on BeTheMatch Registry, hence why joining the registry gets your name in the hat 10 times and partaking in an "other" event gets your name in the hat once.

The drive will start today December 16th and will go until February 17th.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this and a BIG THANK YOU for the ones who are choosing to participate.

We are encouraging the discussion on and about cancer in this thread. If you have a story and do not mind sharing it, please do! There are people out there right now walking in your shoes and are just as lost as you were, when cancer faced someone you know or faced you personally. Your story could help them during these tough times. If you want to remain anonymous and would not mind getting your story out, PM us and we will tell it for you.

Disclaimer: This drive is not sponsored by Inforoo. The sponsor is a private party. Ticket winner will be drawn at random shortly after February 17th. . This is a take-as-is gift, with no refund. We reserve the right to void drive at anytime, for any reason we chose. Ticket will be mailed to recipient. Odds of winning depend on how many enter.

Post by FuzzyWarbles on Dec 16, 2012 7:44:22 GMT -5

What you got back home, little sister, to play your fuzzy warbles on? I bet you got little save pitiful, portable picnic players. Come with uncle and hear all proper! Hear angel trumpets and devil trombones. You are invited.

Post by cursedlono on Dec 16, 2012 8:26:42 GMT -5

A bump from me my Mom beat cancer a few years ago and things were very dark around my crib with the reaper hanging over it. She did not need a trasnplant/transfusion etc. but it is nice to know there are lots of people that are wiling to help out. Oddly when I was going through this is when Qsaroo helped me out as my finances were drained what with the out of town trips etc. and me taking off of work. I will be making a donation for sure. Much love to everyone for this!

Post by superfurryanimal on Dec 16, 2012 8:35:59 GMT -5

A bump from me my Mom beat cancer a few years ago and things were very dark around my crib with the reaper hanging over it. She did not need a trasnplant/transfusion etc. but it is nice to know there are lots of people that are wiling to help out. Oddly when I was going through this is when Qsaroo helped me out as my finances were drained what with the out of town trips etc. and me taking off of work. I will be making a donation for sure. Much love to everyone for this!

I love you Lono and I know you've been through so much in the last couple years. I'd hang with you at Radiohead anytime.

Feel free to tell us all more of your stories. That is one of the reasons for this tread. To raise awareness, and give us all a place to share our experiences.

Last Edit:Dec 16, 2012 9:21:05 GMT -5 by superfurryanimal - Back to Top

Post by zenfnp on Dec 16, 2012 8:45:32 GMT -5

hello everyone: I just want to point out that registration to be a donor is painless. Cheek swabs are all that is needed to get the DNA used in the match process. So don't let that be an obstacle.

If you ever are selected as a donor, the process is quick, only taking a few hours including the minor sedation that is done for the procedure.

Lastly, one of my best friends from nursing school is a nurse on the Bone Marrow Transplant floor at Emory University Hospital. I constantly am reminded by her about the difference that marrow donations can make in lives, not only of patients but their families as well. If any of you have any questions or concerns about the process, please contact me.

It all comes down to this: If you had the chance to save a life, would you?

Post by surfbumdj on Dec 16, 2012 8:46:12 GMT -5

My youngest daughter was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 4 years old. She is a major inspiration in my life every day. She went through 2 1/2 years of chemo, transfusions and marrow biopsies. She gained 50% of her body weight in 45 days (from 40 to 60 lbs - do the math with your own weight and think about that for a second). She had spinal taps on a bi monthly basis and marrow checks every 3 months. When they did a marrow check, they had to drill into her pelvic bone to extract some marrow as it was a biopsy. She had chemo injected into her spinal column and brain cavity.

And every day, she smiles.

She has now been cancer free for over 2 years and is THE MOST positive person I know. She is an inspiration.

If it wasn't for The Lukemia and lymphoma society, St Jude's Childrens Hospital and a few other outfits, she would be dead.

I am registering to be a marrow donor and will be donating money to both of the charities I mentioned above. I will also be visiting the cancer floor at the local children's hospital to give Christmas presents to all of them. Additionally, I will be pulling some strings at the jacksonville Jaguars front office to see about getting a few of the players to visit before Christmas (they have a home game on the 23rd against the Pats)

All but he marrow registration I had planned on doing, or have already done.

Post by Pops on Dec 16, 2012 10:21:28 GMT -5

My youngest daughter was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 4 years old. She is a major inspiration in my life every day. She went through 2 1/2 years of chemo, transfusions and marrow biopsies. She gained 50% of her body weight in 45 days (from 40 to 60 lbs - do the math with your own weight and think about that for a second). She had spinal taps on a bi monthly basis and marrow checks every 3 months. When they did a marrow check, they had to drill into her pelvic bone to extract some marrow as it was a biopsy. She had chemo injected into her spinal column and brain cavity.

And every day, she smiles.

She has now been cancer free for over 2 years and is THE MOST positive person I know. She is an inspiration.

If it wasn't for The Lukemia and lymphoma society, St Jude's Childrens Hospital and a few other outfits, she would be dead.

I am registering to be a marrow donor and will be donating money to both of the charities I mentioned above. I will also be visiting the cancer floor at the local children's hospital to give Christmas presents to all of them. Additionally, I will be pulling some strings at the jacksonville Jaguars front office to see about getting a few of the players to visit before Christmas (they have a home game on the 23rd against the Pats)

All but he marrow registration I had planned on doing, or have already done.

For all of you who put this together, thank you.

You're never gonna get to -200 with posts like this, guy. I'm really glad to hear your daughter has been cancer free for two years.

Post by custeph on Dec 16, 2012 10:52:47 GMT -5

I'm going to call them tomorrow to explain my situation & see if I can't be allowed to register. Regardless, I will donate & do whatever I can to bring awareness. My grandfather has leukemia & my grandmother (his wife) died of lung cancer almost 7 years ago. Those seven years have been the longest 7 years b/c I miss her every single day. She was & will always be my role model.

Post by abrakapokus on Dec 16, 2012 14:17:21 GMT -5

I have signed up and I am waiting for my kit to be delivered. Just an fyi, if you have to answer differently in some questions (Asthma was mine) you can still be a potential donor, they just ask followup questions. So don't X out of the page thinking you can't qualify.

Like Dave mentioned before, Dave's best friend is now 33 and was diagnosed with Cancer when she was 14 and had a long battle. BUT she won. She encouraged both of us to volunteer as camp counselors at Camp Horizon, a camp for children who have/had cancer and the second week is for their siblings. I personally took part in this for two years and Dave for three. One thing that really surprised me at the camp is how much the little girls valued their wigs. There were several discussions between the females, lasting late into the night, about how losing their hair had the biggest impact on them. They didn't complain about the testing, the throwing up, transplants, but about how the loss of their hair had a huge impact on how they felt about themselves. They also were very careful to take care of their wigs, most all were donated by locks of love. If any of the inforoo people want to look into donating their hair, some little girl will treasure their donation. www.locksoflove.org/

My Mother lost her Mother to cancer when my Mom was just 14 years old. My Grandmother battled colon cancer for years and passed away just a few years ago. My father has Hep-C and has been on chemo for a couple years. Eventually he will have cancer and require a transplant. For this reason I have requested that my organs be donated, after my death.

Post by A$AP Rosko on Dec 16, 2012 14:47:37 GMT -5

Should have my kit in about two weeks. Thanks for doing this, guys.

A lot of you already know my little brother was just diagnosed with cancer (Stage III lymphoma) a week and a half ago. I'll refrain from telling his story until it's a finished story complete with a happy ending; right now, it's just a beginning, but I can tell you that the middle will be filled with lots of love and support, and I can hope that the end will be several hundred pages and many decades away (hopefully Charles Dickens or Leo Tolstoy wrote this one).

Thanks for doing this guys, and I'll be glad to participate in any way I can, obviously. I've already signed up for the registry, I'll donate if/when I can find that extra money, I'll probably look into donating my hair to locks of love next time I get a haircut (considering what Dee shared above), and I'll obviously be on the lookout for any sorts of runs or events or whatever to support cancer research that are in my area.

Post by Dave Maynar on Dec 16, 2012 14:50:18 GMT -5

Thanks for doing this guys, and I'll be glad to participate in any way I can, obviously. I've already signed up for the registry, I'll donate if/when I can find that extra money, I'll probably look into donating my hair to locks of love next time I get a haircut (considering what Dee shared above), and I'll obviously be on the lookout for any sorts of runs or events or whatever to support cancer research that are in my area.

If anyone is considering Locks of Love, read the website as they have some particular rules about the donation, i.e. required length for hair, packaging, etc.

Post by A$AP Rosko on Dec 16, 2012 15:01:07 GMT -5

Thanks for doing this guys, and I'll be glad to participate in any way I can, obviously. I've already signed up for the registry, I'll donate if/when I can find that extra money, I'll probably look into donating my hair to locks of love next time I get a haircut (considering what Dee shared above), and I'll obviously be on the lookout for any sorts of runs or events or whatever to support cancer research that are in my area.

If anyone is considering Locks of Love, read the website as they have some particular rules about the donation, i.e. required length for hair, packaging, etc.

10 inches measured tip to tip is the minimum length needed for a hairpiece.

Guess I'll have to grow my hair out for a while. Not like I haven't done it before. Hipster Thor 2, coming to a TinyChat near you.

What I'll probably do is keep growing my hair out until my brother starts losing his hair (they've said that while it's hard to predict, his hair will likely start falling out after the third chemo treatment; the treatments are three weeks apart) and then when I get the solidarity shave for my brother, make sure the barber cuts my hair in ponytails for Locks of Love. Two birds with one stone.

Post by surfbumdj on Dec 16, 2012 16:02:34 GMT -5

If anyone is considering Locks of Love, read the website as they have some particular rules about the donation, i.e. required length for hair, packaging, etc.

10 inches measured tip to tip is the minimum length needed for a hairpiece.

Guess I'll have to grow my hair out for a while. Not like I haven't done it before. Hipster Thor 2, coming to a TinyChat near you.

What I'll probably do is keep growing my hair out until my brother starts losing his hair (they've said that while it's hard to predict, his hair will likely start falling out after the third chemo treatment; the treatments are three weeks apart) and then when I get the solidarity shave for my brother, make sure the barber cuts my hair in ponytails for Locks of Love. Two birds with one stone.

The leukemia and lymphoma society is great, but sometimes it's hard to relate or connect with people in a group you are pigeonholed into. If you'd ever like to talk, or have any questions I'd love to share with you my experiences and thoughts. I'm pming you my number so you can call or text anytime. And by anytime I mean anytime. 3 am drunk and contemplative when you need an ear, I'm there. Seriously.

Seriously. Pick up the phone. I've been through a very similar situation very recently and would very much like to help someone work through what I did.

Chin up, st Jude's and the children's cancer society have your brothers back in a big, big way.

Post by wannaberoo'ing on Dec 16, 2012 17:14:17 GMT -5

Wow, this is amazing. I'm always amazed here at inforoo. This isn't just a place to talk about music or festivals. It's really one of coolest places on the Internet I have ever found. Your hearts are huge here. Your efforts to help each other, encourage each other, to do good and have fun while doing it are remarkable. Really, I'm always amazed here, even in some small way. I hope the best for all who have been dealing with a loved one with cancer and thank you inforoo, qsaroo for lifting my spirits up today. You're achieving your goal with me already- having read so many people stories on here about their ordeals with cancer and by reading this today, my awareness about cancer is growing even more.

Post by fawnmart on Dec 16, 2012 17:14:38 GMT -5

Well ya little whipa snappers, when I signed up for the national registry we had to walk 5 miles uphill both ways to school in 8 feet of snow.. Routinely receive the newsletter and keep my info current. Of course I'm getting towards the old end of the scale, but if your a match and the only match, they may overlook age as long as in overall good health.

Anywhooo... I got the donation scroll moving with some of the $ that was recently found its way back to me.

Post by krunchykat on Dec 16, 2012 17:40:53 GMT -5

Thank you QSAROO for doing this! I was going to sign up as a donor earlier in the year when my best friends mom was diagnosed with cancer, but the chemo that was required before a bone marrow transplant nearly killed her. I never followed through with signing up when she was told that a transplant was no longer an option for her. I don't know why I didn't sign up then but I have the kit on it's way now.

Post by bonzai on Dec 16, 2012 22:50:53 GMT -5

I am registering right now. Between this and everything that is going on with Sandy Hook Elementary, I am feeling incredibly emotional (booze doesn't hurt). I love you all.

Also, it might be a rumor, but I heard Locks for Love is NOT the best to go through. Wigs for Kids is MUCH better. My old roommate donated 12 inches a few years back. Her hairdresser refused to support Locks of Love because they overcharge the receiving end for their services (aka the kids with cancer often pay a . She only supported Wigs For Kids. Again, it might be a rumor, but please look into it before donating. I wish I could.. but I highlight and lowlight (aka there is bleach in my hair and they won't accept it).

Post by bonzai on Dec 16, 2012 22:58:32 GMT -5

..I'm torn... I have a heart disease that is asymptomatic so usually I lie about it... I guess this is not the time to lie though? They think it might be hereditary but they are not sure. My blood/ bone marrow should be fine. Advice before I send this through?

Post by zenfnp on Dec 16, 2012 23:07:53 GMT -5

I doubt any kids want my gray hair! haha. Too bad because I've got a mess of it...anyway I love you guys all so much. I am reading all of your stories and they are my stories too. They make me want to give you all a big giant hug.

I did register at Warped Tour a few years back when I took the girls...lol...but I need to make sure that I haven't been purged from the registry.

btw, I'm totally an organ donor. I hope that unless you have beliefs prohibiting it that all of you are.